Cherbourg: on TikTok, Jérôme humorously shares his passion for video games to his thousands of subscribers

Carefully framed Marvel comic book covers adorn the walls of the apartment. A mannequin of the iconic Star-Lord sits in the middle of the living room. Other guardians of the galaxy appear in Jérôme's cozy little apartment, with a subdued atmosphere.

Originally from Cherbourg (Manche), this 33-year-old man presents himself as a true fan of the Marvel universe since childhood. Above all, do not tell him, as one of his conquests has already done, that he lives in a "kid's apartment". “I decorated it with what I like. I don't find that immature. On the contrary, some comics and films are quite trashy!

An account created during confinement

For about a year, this nice decor has been showing off on the TikTok application. While he was bored during the confinement linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, Jérôme started talking about video games on his katales88 account. He shows his beautiful collection there. One thing leading to another, he found his trademark. Small sketches to share, with humor, his experience in this universe. Whether he likes a game or not, the influencer gives his opinion with kindness after taking the time to test it.

The mayonnaise sets quickly. With the two daily videos of about two minutes that he posts each day, which takes him very little time, he is now followed by almost 292,000 fans. "I'm quite proud of it," smiles the 30-something, a tennis and drawing lover.

“Stay yourself”

Interactivity is taking hold with its subscribers. “This is the advantage of TikTok, unlike Youtube, since we can answer their questions directly via duos in particular. I also organize quizzes and competitions to offer gifts.”

He is so appreciated that he receives many gifts from them: sweets, games, alcohol and other figurines. “It bothers me a bit, because I am not a profiteer. Each time, I present the products offered to me in my videos, which pleases the subscribers. They are happy to see that I am talking about them.”

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The secret to success on this application popular with young people? “Stay natural, be yourself, and keep your private life a mystery. It's the best way for subscribers to feel like I'm their friend, "advises the one whose influencer is not the job and never will be.

An account that won't change his life

He only earns very little money with his views. “You have to total about a million a day to earn 70 euros. There, I am at barely 9 euros. Even if I have the goal of reaching one million subscribers by the end of the year, TikTok will never change my life no matter what. It will remain a passion.”

A little pocket money too, sometimes, when he promotes products for brands with which he collaborates. Up to €1,000! “But I only present things that I really like. I don't want to lie to my subscribers."

His passion is anything but all-consuming. Far from the clichés that the general public may have about geeks, Jérôme never plays more than 3 hours a day. On the other hand, he finishes absolutely all the games he buys.

A small library

His first console, Jérôme remembers it like it was yesterday. In his twenties, he held a volunteer position in the French Navy. The boredom of a shift for a weekend pushes him towards a PS3. Abandoning his post in the Army after a year, he returned to the countryside with his parents before starting a BTS. Period during which he will complete the games one after the other.

His first salary was distilled in a video game store. “I had fun!” he exclaims, he who as a child had to play with his friends because deprived of screens by his parents because of his nonsense. He will gradually appropriate consoles and games from all eras. “My apartment is like a public library. My brother or friends come to play from time to time. They serve themselves as they want!”

Unhealthy commodification

This market is a lot (really a lot) of money. “I bought some games at 600/700 euros. But I'm not very retro, the sector that costs the most. For this far from stingy boy, who prefers to leave games sold at low prices “to kids”, this commodification of video games is “disappointing”.

Playing stories

Video games have, according to Jérôme, a “phenomenal cultural impact”. This is what he explains all the time, soberly, to detractors who believe that the video game "makes you stupid".

It is no coincidence, as the Cherbourgeois points out, that several games have inspired film directors. “Each game tells a different story, each as exciting as the next. This is what I like most about video games!”

The story that most marked this Sony lover? “The Last of Us, one of the first games I played. The story is wonderful and very moving! It is a father whose daughter has died who adopts a child of the same age. Are you ready to immerse yourself in the deep end of video games?

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